China, CIMMYT partner to boost crop breeding in Africa, South Asia

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By MG News | January 14, 2025 at 03:19 PM GMT+05:00

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January 14, 2025 (MLN): China, along with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), plans to strengthen its collaboration in crop breeding and production.

This was announced during a forum in Sanya, Hainan province, focusing on countries in Africa and South Asia, as APP reported.

Experts at the China-CIMMYT South-South Cooperation Forum discussed collaboration in wheat science, technology transfer, and training between China, CIMMYT, and countries in the Global South, according to the organizer.

Hans Braun, a scientist with CIMMYT's Global Wheat Program, stated that while wheat is a cornerstone of global food security, climate change has significantly impacted wheat production in low-latitude regions like South Asia and Africa.

Over the past 50 years, CIMMYT’s varieties and farming technologies have contributed to the development of wheat in South Asian countries, such as Pakistan, and African nations.

However, there is a growing need to strengthen disease- and stress-resistant breeding as well as training, he said.

Chinese and Pakistani scientists have jointly developed two high-yield wheat varieties that could be approved for commercial production in Pakistan this year.

These new varieties have strong resistance against yellow rust a destructive crop disease widespread in Pakistan, and are expected to significantly boost local wheat output, China Daily reported.

Awais Rasheed, a scientist with the China-Pakistan Joint Wheat Molecular Breeding International Lab, said that South-South collaboration, particularly between Chinese institutes and other developing countries, could play a key role.

This collaboration could promote the use of molecular breeding to rapidly develop elite cultivars.

Based on the current collaboration, China will fully leverage its advantages in varieties, technology, and talent.

This approach aims to enhance the impact of South-South cooperation, said He Zhonghu, a professor at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

He, who is also the country representative for the China office of CIMMYT, said the forum aims to promote exchanges between China, CIMMYT, and the Global South in various fields.

These fields include maize and wheat variety improvement, crop management, and loss reduction during grain processing.

China and African countries will enhance cooperation in the monitoring and prevention of diseases and pests such as fusarium head blight by sharing experience and technology in cultivating fusarium-resistant wheat varieties.

This collaboration is expected to help increase local wheat production, experts said during a discussion panel.

The involvement of CIMMYT, and the World Food Program of the United Nations, will strengthen this collaboration among Global South, said Jia Yan from World Food Program China.

In addition, short-term training and seminars will be carried out both in China and overseas, with provincial agricultural academies and related universities participating.

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